Heretofore, leveling devices in vehicles have been integrated into shock absorber assemblies to provide a lift force for a body assembly. These leveling devices were outfitted with fill valves so that a vehicle operator could pressurize the leveling device to increase the lifting force exerted by a conventional spring assembly between the body assembly and a wheel mounting assembly. Examples of such leveling devices are the air shock and the air bag.
Another type of leveling device is the self-pumping shock absorber which uses the up and down motion between the body and wheel mounting assemblies to generate fluid pressure which provides a lifting force when the body assembly is lowered a predetermined distance toward the wheel mounting assembly.
The weight reduction of vehicles has rendered the state of the art of leveling devices ineffective as less lifting force is required to maintain the body assembly in a preferred vertical position. Consequently, it is believed to be an advance in the state of the art to provide a leveling device which is adapted for use on a light weight vehicle.